Priestess of the Dark
by PermanentlyFrozen
Summary: The celestial artisan had never experienced such darkness before. He had never sensed such pure, concentrated evil, much less in the form of one human woman. There was something about her that was otherworldly, alluring despite the innocence held captive in her gaze. She was truly a priestess of the dark. And he'd be damned if she weren't his. SavxOC
1. Set In Motion

There was not much that could bother the Chthonian. As a matter of fact, Ash didn't think he'd ever seen Savitar this… _fazed_. The man—being—whatever he was seemed to take everything that happened to him in a single stride and yet the being strode into Katoteros like it was nothing, and blessed his old friend with his presence. Ash's palm left his cheek as he stood from his throne, the sound of his arm rubbing against his leather jacket the only sound in the room, amid Savitar's steps. "Savitar." Ash said in greeting, his eyes a stormy grey. "What's your ass doing here?" He asked, expecting a response or an explanation at the very least.

"Yo."

Ash blinked. That was it? "Where's Soteria?" Savitar asked, his gaze wandering from his one and only friend to settle on a doily sitting pretty on top of a side table. Just underneath a demon heirloom that could probably blow whoever touched it to bits. "Is that…? You let her decorate?" Savitar asked, cracking a smile in amusement. Savitar watched as Ash's shoulders sagged a little, knowing full well an argument had probably come out of Soteria's right to decorate Ash's place to her liking. Evidently it was an argument his friend lost.

"She's in a meeting," Savitar heard Ash say once he turned around, sitting once more on his throne that now had a cushion. Man, was he lucky he hadn't been strapped down. "What is it? It's not every day you take your ass off your surfboard and pay me a visit." He was right, Sav would much rather be catching some waves on his own private island than being well, anywhere else. Sav liked his privacy more than he did anything else. He found no interest in godly affairs and humans were worth nothing. So long as everyone stayed out of his way he was a happy man—or as close as he could come to it.

"I've been getting some premonitions. Considering I don't know what's going to happen until I set it in motion, I figure you could tell me what's in store." It was unlike Savitar to ask for a glimpse into his future and yet he could not help himself. He did not like surprises, he mused as he tightened his hold on his staff. The two-headed viper on top was motionless, turned to stone until Savitar willed it to move. This was a conversation between friends, no point in thinking about fighting tactics now. Sav watched as Ash's eyes changed color, and he figured he was doing as he asked. This whole seeing the future thing, it never really sat well with him. Sure, he could anticipate his enemy's moves and omniscient barely described the full scope of his powers, but Sav preferred to take his eternal existence one miserable day at a time. But this was an emergency.

To his surprise, Ash began to laugh. And then laugh some more. It wasn't until Sav made a point of punching his shoulder he showed any signs of stopping. "Well? What did you see?" Sav asked.

"You thought I was done in for? I saw wedding bells. Congratulations."

Ash's voice was still ringing in his hear when Savitar was gone in a flash.

::~

If there was one thing he gave humans credit for creating it was coffee. They were a pretty useless species otherwise, but their ability to brew a mean iced coffee kept Sav returning to his favorite shop, a secluded indie store little people knew about. Night had already fallen and there weren't many people inside. Sav flashed himself inside, standing in line and immediately scanning the room to see if anyone had noticed behind him. People were either staring intently at their screens or too tired to care, which was a good thing. He turned around to speak to the human behind the register when he nearly bumped into a woman in line in front of him, who had just turned around with a cup of coffee in her hand, her eyes wide and holding a question. Damn it. She saw.

"Did you just—" Sav scrambled for an excuse to keep her from asking questions and raising the suspicion of everyone else. Today was just full of mistakes, wasn't it? "Uh, it's a trick the staff uses. I work here." He said with a nod of his head, said nod making the entire staff believe he really did. It helped to be otherworldly. Just then a manager called his name, claiming he was needed in the back and that had sealed the deal. The woman nodded, stepping around him but now before giving him a strange look, like she almost didn't believe him. Sav watched her from the corner of his eye as she slipped into the booth behind him and held her cup in both her hands, deep in thought as she stared at the glass door that led to the entrance of the store. Figuring the worst was over, Savitar ordered his usual and planned to get the hell out of there before another human caught him slipping.

And then he felt it.

Daimons. There was no mistaking their foul stench, growing even more potent as three men strode into the store and made way straight to the woman's booth, instead of the register. Sav kept a low profile as he waited for his order, wondering just what they wanted from the human woman. "Maira Simmons?" One of them asked as he slipped into the booth. The woman—Maira, as he now knew her name, nodded. "Who wants to know?" He heard her ask in a bit of a defensive tone. She couldn't tell, could she? Sav watched as the demon told her her car was about to be towed. The woman was out of the store in a flash, her cup forgotten on the table as she rushed to the car meter. The three men went after her, Sav following closely behind. He doubted they cared about the well-being of her car.

"I could have sworn I put enough quarters in there," Maira said sheepishly as she dug through her purse, searching for any loose change. Her heels clicked against the sidewalk as she powerwalked to the meter, her car parked a few feet from the front of the store. Brown hair fell into her eyes obscuring her view, before she felt that someone was in front of her. Maira stopped in her tracks, tucking her hair behind her ear as her eyes settled on one of the men that had warned her about her car. Had he left the store before her? If he did, he was fast. "Oops, sorry." Maira said lightly, side-stepping the man and continuing her trek despite the uneasy feeling in the pit of her stomach. She stopped as he once again stepped into her path, his eyes darkening considerably as he looked at her chest. "Can I help you?" Maira asked, the cold stone strapped to black leather tied to her neck all of the sudden carrying an extra weight as the man in front of her stared at it intently.

"The amulet," The man said, his eyes flashing red as his voice deepened into something that sounded almost demonic. Maira pressed slender hand to the stone, taking a step back cautiously and bumping into another man just a step behind her. Wasn't he the one that had warned her about her car? Her dark eyes widened as the man gave her a sardonic grin and flashed a fang.

Fang? Was that really a fang in his mouth? Maira shrieked as he held fast to both her arms, her purse dropping to the ground with a dull thud as a scuffle ensued. "Let go!" She cried, writhing in his grip as the other lunged for her necklace.

"You guys are some filthy shit, you know that? Preying on an innocent woman." Savitar growled as he stalked out of the store and both men ceased their movements. Great, now he had resorted to some sort of human police officer.

"Out of the way, Chthonian. She does not concern you." The daimon who held Maira rasped, as if the word itself was disgusting. Maira stared at all the men around her like they had lost their minds, already feeling the pain that came from the Daimon's tight hold on her forearm. "She has something that belongs to us."

Sav didn't care whether or not the human woman had done something to piss them off, if there was one thing he despised it was when Daimons meddled with his affairs. And as of that moment, he made it a point to make that woman one of his. If she had something the Daimons wanted, he was interested. Savitar unsheathed his sword, pulling it from his side as the illusion he cast over himself fell away and Maira was able to see him for what he truly was. She watched, mouth agape, as the sword crackled with electricity. Savitar exuded power and she could feel it, more than she could see it. This sword was barely scratching the surface.

Maira was pulled out of the way as the daimons surrounding her circled in on Savitar, seemingly growing in number. Savitar let out a low growl. "Release the human, and I might spare you." He said, giving one last chance. The Daimons claws dug into Maira's shoulder and she let out a yelp. Savitar sighed, raising his sword until the bright, sizzling blue light emanating from it illuminated his face. Maira could then see her protector for the first time that night, an unusual eye color catching her interest. It was a color as dark as amethyst, a stark contrast to his bronzed skin. It was then she knew there was more to him than she had originally thought.

Savitar remained poised, watching as the daimons readied themselves to strike. Yet his gaze was on the one who held the woman captive, as if it was his ultimate goal. He'd make that one suffer the most. "Guess there'll be murder then," he sighed, seeing no way about it. A Damion charged at him from the right, hellbent on making as much damage as possible. Sav swung his sword in a wide arch, the electricity from it singing the demon's face before his sword cut through like paper, the rest of its body blasting to bits. That did not stop the others, a demon's claws nearly grazing Savitar's cheek before he anticipated the move and jumped back. Savitar growled. He did not want to use the full extent of his power and even less so in front of a human, but if he didn't he might not be able to save her.

Maira visibly struggled against the Daimon that had her in his hold. "Hold still, blasted bitch!" The Daimon released one arm to swipe the necklace from her neck as Maira ignored his orders, its claws bared and all. She could not tell what happened then, only that she felt the overwhelming urge to protect her amulet, even at the cost of her own life. She would not allow anyone to take it from her. The amulet shocked the Daimon with a force so intense his hand burned, eliciting a colorful curse from the creature. "Fine. I guess the only way I have left is to kill you," he cursed, lowering his head into Maira's neck as his fangs bit savagely into her skin. Maira screamed, pain shooting up her neck and seeming to resonate in her body as she was rendered immobile.

Her screamed reached Savitar's ears and in that moment, he had to make a choice. Leave the human woman to die, or risk his exposure and do away with the Daimons circling him once and for all. His decision took all but three seconds—but believe me, Savitar had thought long and hard before he willed the Daimons to burst into flames, the fire so potent it blew them to smithereens.

The last thing Maira saw was Savitar stepping out of a ring of fire before the ground came rushing up to meet her.

::~

Hi! It's been six years since I first published this story and I have finally decided to rewrite it. I will be making a few changes to the narrative given my writing has now improved, but I still welcome constructive criticism and comments. Especially if you're a returning reader! The original Ieria Tis Skotenis is still up, but will be taken down momentarily as I continue to rewrite. Keep in mind this story is pure fanfiction, and may not be directly similar to Kenyon's work. Thanks for reading and please leave a review!


	2. Katoteros

Savitar's palm pressed against his cheek, coming away with ichor staining his fingers. Damn it. Damn it all to hell. He watched as the Daimon that held Maira perished with a cry and the woman's body collapsed, her head connecting forcefully with the cement below. He sheathed his sword, his eyes settling on the woman strewn on the street like a rag doll. That was way too close. For the first time in a long time he had attracted more power than necessary, and he was sure it was going to attract unwanted attention. There was also the question of the human. She had seen him use his abilities and it would be pointless to kill her now given all the trouble he just went through to save her. Her eyes were glazed with a blank stare, her dark eye staring into nothing. Sav approached the faint glow coming from the stone around her neck, a soft purple glow pulsing from it as if it was sleeping along with its owner. Except, Sav could not sense a heartbeat.

Cursing underneath his breath he knelt beside the woman, his eyes snapping to the gaping wound in her neck. Crimson blood slowly carved a path against her brown skin, as her life waned. It was a shame for her end to be like this, Savitar thought, pressing a hand to her chest to dispatch an electrical charge and jumpstart her heart. After a few moments, he could hear her heart beat again—it was faint, but it was there.

And then he saw it.

Images upon images flooded his brain like a vicious nightmare. He saw men breaking out into fights, wars breaking out among mortal and god alike, blood and ichor flowing freely down the streets and mixing into one. Scorpions swarmed homes while the Earth was consumed with a rampant fire. Through the flames he saw the woman at his feet, as he lay motionless in a pool of his own blood, watching in horror as she approached to finish him off. And just like that the vision changed, this one worse than the last as Savitar physically felt the woman's hand clench around his throat, her free hand dangerously close to her face as it glowed with heavenly light. She had that same look in her eye, dark and murderous with a tinge of something else—the pain of betrayal deep in its depths, and an imminent death for him on either end.

Savitar choked on a breath, watching the girl in horror. For a second she struck fear into his heart, and it was a feeling he was unfamiliar with. How could he have forgotten? An act as simple as reviving a human already dead altered the course of the universe, what was he thinking reviving one Daimons had been after, for a reason unknown? Now the woman herself would be the cause of his own demise, a fate he had set in motion just by restarting her heart. Maira began to stir as she drew her first breath, and Sav knew that if he remained on the street more demons would come looking for them. Sav picked up the woman in his arms with little effort, flashing them to the only place he could think of going with a problem as big as this one.

Behind him, the night seemed cold and unforgiving.

::~ 

Acheron's strummed his guitar lightly, the tune carrying throughout the hall just as Savitar flashed in with Maira in his arms. Acheron stood then, his eyes alight with fire. "How could you let a human—" He started, boiling hot with anger at having a human in his domain when he caught the expression in Savitar's eyes. Acheron's hands balled into fists, his guitar long forgotten on his chair as he struggled with his anger at the intrusion and his concern for his friend. It was a moment before Acheron figured that Savitar must have had a good reason for this intrusion, as he was the only person that understood some of what Ash had been through. Ash huffed hotly. "You look like hell," he said in greeting.

Sav's lips cracked a smile, and yet it seemed forced. "What's your excuse?" He shot back, just as Soteria entered the room.

"Savitar, we weren't—holy shitballs," Tory rushed over, taking note of the woman in Sav's arms. Savitar barely managed to greet her before she was already whisking the woman away from him. "I'll take her to a guest room and heal her, meanwhile you sit down and relax. Baby," Tory said, turning towards Ash, who was watching the exchange in amusement. "Get him something to drink, he looks like he's seen a ghost." It was true, Savitar's face had lost its golden glow. Instead he looked ashen, his eyes wide at the revelation bringing Maira back had caused. Ash watched him with interest, despite remaining still in his spot in the room. Savitar still hadn't explained why he was in Katoteros and not in his own realm.

"Are you going to say something or are we going to keep staring at each other?" Ash asked as he crossed his arms coolly. That seemed to snap Sav out of whatever daze he was in, which was strange given he'd only ever seen the Chthonian calm and collected.

"I'm sorry for bringing her here. We'll be out in a minute. I swear I just went for a cup of fucking coffee," Sav sighed as he manifested a chair, not having the energy to find one in Acheron's vast hall. "Daimons had lured her out and tried to kill her. No, not tried. They killed her." And yet the girl was breathing. Acheron raised a brow, putting two and two together.

"You're not one to act out so rashly."

"I know. Hades will be pissed." Not that Savitar cared in particular, but this case was different.

"So? What's one human to the hundreds of souls he gets a day?" Ash asked.

"She's no human." Savitar revealed. He then recounted all of the events that happened earlier—how vicious the attack on Maira had been, how the Daimons had been intent on grabbing the necklace from her and how it repelled their touch. Savitar didn't know himself why he was telling Acheron—it wasn't like it was his business. It was a problem Savitar had set into motion himself and one he would have to fix on his own, but maybe what he really needed right now was someone to bounce his ideas off of.

"No, you can't just kill her again," Ash shook his head at Savitar's suggestion. It was always his first answer to everything, especially when it came to a human. Kill them and get it over with, Sav had suggested every single time Acheron had a problem. Unfortunately, the surfer didn't share the same compassion as Ash when it came to the weaker species.

Sav knew it wasn't possible, and yet he still put it out there. It was worth a shot, anyhow. If she was meant to be dead even after he'd revived her on accident, what was the point in delaying the inevitable? He'd make it a quick death, at least.

"Look, it's obvious she is not of our kind. We would have known by now. The best thing to do is look after her until we find out just who—or what she is, and what Daimons want from her." Ash said with finality just as Soteria entered the room.

"She's sleeping now and I healed her neck. But it's definitely going to leave a nasty scar," Tory said as she scrunched her nose, as if she could feel the pain herself. "What's new?" She asked, her eyes flitting between both men, who looked like they were caught with their hands in the cookie jar.

"We might-" Acheron started before Savitar sharply interrupted.

"No. I'll take her." He said his black curly hair shaking along with his head. He knew Acheron loathed having other present in Katoteros, much less a quasi-human. Acheron looked to him in surprise, before his eyes filled with understanding.

"You're going to take her with you?"

"She's my problem."

Savitar was never one to unload his work onto others. The girl was his to deal with for now. He wanted to be the first one to know about her when she awoke.

"I'll just take her and go," Savitar said, starting towards one of the rooms.

"At least leave her here for the night," Tory said, taking a step forward although her eyes were asking a question of Acheron, who tensed slightly before giving her a small nod. "She's badly hurt, she shouldn't be moved." Tory continued before her eyes finally settled on Savitar. Gripping his staff firm in his hands, Savitar gave her a curt nod before glancing down the hallway where Tory had disappeared with the girl moments before.

"C'mon Sav, let's catch up. Beer and videos games, it's on me." Ash said with a nod towards another room, knowing that it was best to distract the being for now. In all his years Ash had never seen him so worried about tampering with fate. Whatever he saw as a result had to have been huge, otherwise Savitar would have brushed it off, as he did everything else.

::~

Maira woke to a dull ache in her neck, her hand instinctively going to it and finding the skin still tender. She winced as she sat up and tried to crack the crick in her neck, nearly making her want to double over in pain. Just then the door to her room cracked open, and in came a woman—freakishly tall, carrying a tray of some sorts in her arms. "Good, you're awake. I was beginning to think you'd die on us. Again," she said with a warm smile. It was then that Maira's eyes strayed and took in her surroundings, and she found out she wasn't in her room at all, but in some sort of vastly decorated chamber.

"Eat up! It's the best batch of baklava I've made I think," Tory said with finality as she set the tray of food on the bedside table. "When you're done we can go join the others, but you're not leaving until you've at least tried it. You haven't eaten in hours." She said as Maira tried to process what had happened. The last thing she remembered was the sight of crackling electricity on some sort of metal and a flurry of polished black shoes underneath black slacks. Now she was sitting in an unfamiliar room with a woman who thought she could boss her around.

"Um," Maira responded unceremoniously, the look on her face said it all. "Backtrack, I lost you. Who are you again?" Maira asked, shifting tentatively on the bed to cross her legs. When she felt no pain anywhere else other than the usual stiffness that came from sleeping in one spot for too long, she relaxed. Just like that, Tory plopped onto the bed beside her.

"Dr. Soteria Kafieri-Parthenopaeus, nice to meet you." She said with a smile and an extended hand. Maira shook it gently, the scent of food distracting her from the questions she still had.

"That's quite a mouthful of a name. You cook?" Maira asked as she took a plate and placed it on her lap, digging into the food.

"Only when you have to write it down. I cook any chance I get. My cousin says I've been cursed to be eternally hungry, but if you ask me she could eat a whole horse and still have space for a burger," Tory said with a shrug and a smile. "Are you feeling better? You came in with a nasty bite." Tory asked as she peered over to take a look at her neck. Maira felt the urge to nod before she thought better of it. But she couldn't exactly answer with a mouthful of food either, so she resorted to using her index finger to signal yes. That seemed to please Tory, who had been taken up with an interest to the necklace just inches from the affected area.

"That's quite the trinket, can I see?" Tory asked, lowering her head to get a better look. Maira hesitated, memories flushing back to her from her attack and the importance her necklace held for those men with suits and fangs. Still, the other woman seemed harmless enough. Maira tilted her head slightly, just as Tory moved to touch it. She couldn't get within an inch form the stone before she was zapped, cradling her hand in her arms. "Shitballs—what was that?!" Tory asked, looking to Maira for an answer and yet she was unable to give her one.

"This is so cool. It zaps anyone who tries to touch it, and yet it's doing nothing to you. Can you touch it?" Tory asked, and Maira nodded, pressing her fingers to the cold stone. She often did it when she felt nervous, and it offered a bit of comfort. Tory observed the stone carefully, trying to find a tell-tale sign of its origin—Greek or Atlantean writing, but she could find neither—at least from where she was sitting.

"It was a gift from my grandmother," Maira explained, noting the other's interest. It was strange to speak after such a long time, her voice hoarse, her hunger sated and her curiosity piqued. "She gave it to me when I was eight, when I first moved to the States." Coincidentally, it would be the same year she lost her grandmother. The woman had died in Lebanon before she could move in with her parents, and unfortunately Maira was unable to ask her more about her gift.

That didn't mean she didn't guard it with her life.

There had been several run ins with strangers over the nature of her necklace. But none as serious as this, however. She honestly didn't think she would have survived had it not been for the purple-eyed man who'd intervened.

"Those things—the men with fangs they—" Maira started, before Tory came over with a rag and a cold basin of water.

"They're called Daimons. Soulless blood-suckers. Before you ask, no. They're nothing like the ones in the books," Tory answered as Maira took the rag gratefully and pressed it to her skin. Thankfully it didn't throb nearly as much as it did when she got it, it was the type of pain she could bear now. Tory looked as if she wanted to say more, but figuring Maira had enough for one day, she thought better of it. "Finish your food, sweetie. It'll do you good."

::~

By the time the two women came around the corner from the hallway they were leaning into each other and chatting like good friends, and Maira was wearing an oversized navy t shirt as she walked across the floor bare. Apparently the cold of the marble didn't seem to bother her, and she looked just find except for the large red gash across her neck. Both men paused their video games and stood, oblivious to the curses of Jaden and Talon on the other end. They gave each other one look, a look of understanding.

 _They're bonding._

"Tory, come here a sec."

"Hey you, give me that necklace." Savitar growled, starting towards the two as amethyst eyes honed in on the girl in question. Maira, once second before anxious to meet the man she was told had saved her, took an uncertain step back, her fingers pressing against the stone as she broke from Soteria's hold.

"What? No!" She answered defiantly, her brows knit in concern at the ire behind this man's eye. She assumed he was Savitar, the telltale sign being the color of his eyes that Soteria had vividly described earlier. This man did not appear laid-back at all. In fact, he looked like he was out for vengeance.

"Give it!" Savitar lunged, Maira once again keeping the entire distance of the room between them. No sooner had she entered it than he'd come for her.

"Savitar, cut it out!" Tory called from Acheron's side, surprised when Ash held fast to her arm. "Let him," Acheron said quietly, through grit teeth. Tory's eyes snapped to her husband, giving him an incredulous look. "She's done nothing wrong." She defended. Ash nodded, a small "I know," leaving his lips. But this was something Savitar needed to deal with on his own.

Savitar growled low in his throat. "Give me the necklace." Once he took it off her he'd have to deal with the jewel itself, and not the human attached to it. It was for the best of the both of them. And yet, the human girl was defiant.

"I'd sooner die," she spat, clutching the stone tightly in her hand as she glared daggers at him from across the room. Ungrateful bitch. Couldn't she see he was trying to save her?

"I can arrange that," he shot back, manifesting his staff at his side. He charged at her with no mercy.


	3. Neratiti

Maira shrieked once he charged, thrusting her hands out as if that alone would stop him. Sav would have stopped to laugh if it hadn't been for the faint light coming from her palms, and the sudden blast that sent him flying across the room. Before he could flip over and charge again Acheron held his hands out to both, forming barriers around Maira's growing powers and Savitar's feral anger. "Now that you've got that out of your system, knock it off." He said with a force that made Maira blink. Savitar seemingly knowing better than she did, lowered his staff, so she chose to do the same and lower her arms. Instead she stared at her palms in with wide eyes, wondering just how she'd been able to do that when she never had before.

"All I wanted to do was thank you for saving my life," Maira snapped, her glare cutting to the tanned, muscular man across the room who had yet to move. She thanked Tory's husband—Acheron if she assumed correctly, by the black glasses and flowing black and red hair. He was every bit as tall as Tory said he'd be.

Savitar just so.

Savitar completely ignored her thanks, instead glaring hotly at the girl across the room. Once Maira saw he didn't care about her gratitude, she squared her shoulders indignantly. Fine, be that way. She mused as she crossed her arms. There was a slight beat of silence before a sigh came from the black-haired god in between them. Soteria's eyes snapped between the three, knowing there must have been some sort of unimaginable power between the three.

"That thing is from the Source," Savitar revealed, his eyes never having left the amulet nestled between Maira's breasts. "I haven't been deflected by anything other than the source in millennia. There's no doubt about it." Only something directly from the source could resist his powers. Savitar was one of the most powerful beings in the universe, and to be pushed back by a human woman had his head spinning.

"We have to get going." He rumbled, his staff glowing in his tanned fingers before it disappeared from sight. Maira gaped at the empty space that had been filled seconds earlier. Soteria had explained a little of what she was dealing with, but not nearly enough. "We?" Maira asked as Savitar crossed the room, a large hand clamping over her wrist before he started to pull her along. He quite literally yanked her up and out of her chair while Maira instinctively tried to pry his fingers off.

"Oh no. The two of you aren't leaving this place until you've eaten your fill, shaken hands, and I have a promise from each of you not to kill each other." Soteria said with finality. He didn't budge an inch, except raise an eyebrow at his best friend.

"It's a lot more painless if you just do what she says," Ash said with a tilt of his head. Now Savitar was beginning to see why Ash had fallen head over heels for Tory. There had to be some sort of charm about a small human woman telling a towering god what to do. In that same moment Savitar's lavender eyes slid from Soteria to Maira, his eyes taking in what the rest of him couldn't: Her dark, curly hair, her full lips, wide doe eyes. She had slender shoulders, the over-sized t-shirt clouding her form and her shapely legs, tanned to perfection. She was designed to make any sane man risk everything.

She was tiny. She was gorgeous. She was barely five foot two he imagined, and yet this small woman was meant to cause the death of him some day.

If he were human, maybe he would have let her.

But he wasn't. He was an all-power Chthonian and it was his job to keep the gods in line. He had power even he didn't know the limits of, and the last thing he wanted to do was allow his name to go down in history as being destroyed by the likes of her.

"That's right," Soteria continued, snapping him back to reality. He didn't think anyone noticed he'd zoned out. Not that he cared what they thought or not, but Savitar wasn't really in the mood to entertain guests and have small talk. Yet Tory seemed eager to hear Maira's story and Ash seemed content in letting her do what he pleased, so it wasn't like he could get the man over on his side. Suddenly what Ash had revealed earlier came to mind. He'd said he'd heard wedding bells. Yet in all his years Ash had never given him a glimpse into his future, not even when he'd asked for it.

Had he been bluffing?

"Thanks, but no thanks. We're dealing with the source here, there's no time to sit around and talk. I'll catch ya later, Grom." Savitar said, giving Ash a quick salute before he and Maira flashed in one grandiose, blue glow and they were gone.

::~

Maira let out a small 'oof' when found herself dumped unceremoniously on warm sand. Her gaze shot to the silhouette standing above her, her hand rising and blocking the blazing sun from her eyes so she could see Savitar better. "You could have put me on my feet you know," Maira grumbled, earning herself a scoff from Savitar before he started walking away from her. Honestly, what was his problem? They'd exchanged not more than two words before he wanted to kill her, now he was taking her off to some secluded island?

Maira pushed herself to her feet and dusted the sand that clung to her legs before she really took in her surroundings. A bright, blue ocean spanned as far as the eye could see, the water twinkling under the soft light of the sun. Trees spanning the edge of the island were the most vivid green Maira had seen in her life. The leaves were not just blowing in the wind, it was as if they breathed a life of their own. Turbulent waves that built up on the horizon line rushed towards the island, only to become small, gentle waves once they reached the shore. Maira's breath was taken away, and the only thing that snapped her out of her reverie was Savitar's voice.

"Hey. You coming?" He said over his shoulder, as he watched her take in the beauty of beauty of Neratiti. It was strange, watching her take in the cool breeze, her feet digging in the sand. He'd never brought a human to his island before—at least, she was human until proven otherwise. It was a strange feeling. Maira nodded and headed towards him, but it wasn't long before she was turning her head to stare at the ocean again.

"Is this all yours?" She asked, her eyes never once falling on his face. The beauty of the island had captivated her, and Sav fought the urge to grin. If there was anything he was proud of, it was this little corner of the world he called home. Maira's soft wow made him shake his head.

"I call it Neratiti," He said, his eyes setting on his beach house, large and imposing and at the moment safe for Maira. She repeated the name, something in his chest constricting when the word left her lips.

"It's beautiful. Your wife and kids must have a blast every day of their lives. Just imagine, all you have to do is look outside and paradise is right there," she breathed, with a sort of hope that made him almost wish he could be optimistic. Savitar stopped walking as his jaw clenched.

"I don't have a wife and kids."

"Oh."

Savitar resumed his pace.

"Husband, then."

He stopped once more and huffed with an annoyed edge to his voice. "I don't have—look. It's just me, alright? No one comes to my island. It's my place. Mine, and mine alone. So you better count your blessings that you're here, and keep yourself from royally pissing me off." He said with a sharp glance over his shoulder.

Maira watched him from a few paces away, looking like a child who'd just been scolded. "Who said I wanted to be here?" She started, indignantly placing her hands at her hips. If she happened to recall correctly, he was the one who'd whisked her off the street to some magical, mystical realm. And as if that wasn't enough, now she was on an island in the middle of nowhere, with none of her belongings and no cellphone. "Look, I'm already having a hard time trying to understand all of this. The fact that you're a god? Okay, I can understand that. Tory explained it well enough. But this—" Maira said, spanning her arms wide to the sight before her. "This is too much. What are you going to do, keep me here until I grow old because you can't understand my necklace? Newsflash, I don't understand it either." She said with finality.

Savitar continued to walk, regardless of whether or not she was following him. She huffed. Had he even listened to her? "You're safe here," he said after a few moments. "This is the only place Daimons can't get to you. So yeah, you're gonna stay here, until I figure out who or what you are. And if that means you grow old while I do it, you'll also die here." Savitar said over his shoulder. The gods knew it would be a blessing for him if it came to that.

Maira gaped at his back. She couldn't believe what he'd just said, and how easily he'd dismissed her. Her eyes glittered as her unshed tears caught the sunlight. "You're an asshole," she said, her voice shaking a slight degree.

"You have no idea."

Once they approached the beach house that rested over a small mountain, Savitar allowed her a few moments to properly gape. It was a large, teeming structure, and as Maira approached it, it seemed to resemble a Greek pavilion. There were large columns in the front, and a large hall leading to the white, double doors of the home. It looked straight out of a movie. Palm trees lined the horizon as small waterfalls flowed from the cracks and crevices of the rocks it rested on, culminating in an iridescent pool nearly a hundred feet below. It was absolutely breathtaking—and it was a while before Maira got her breath back. "You live in this?" She asked as they entered, the large hall spanning before her seemingly more beautiful than the exterior. Savitar smirked.

"Most of the time," he said, his worn brown sandals a stark contrast to the iridescent marble floors. The truth was, Savitar only kept the place looking as it did because it reminded him of home. It reminded him of a time that predated anything Maira could possibly think of. He was only a young boy when Lemuria fell, but he remembered little details: such as the smooth stone he used to skim his fingers along as he ran, pulsating with life. The faint blue glow within the walls of his home, the way his father had chipped away his own art, telling the story of his life to be remembered forever. The way the blue light filled the cracks chiseled there by his father and his forefathers, giving his story life for eternity. Even now his home still stood—everything about Lemuria did. All of it was tucked away deep underneath the sea, deeper than any human could dive and any god cared to venture. All except its people. They had been consumed whole by the Source, when Lemuria fell.

His people had been a gentle, innocent kind. They were blessed with energy from the source. Each and every one of them fed from this energy, inhibiting a power that was above man. They had a want for nothing, they spent their days laughing, singing and dancing, creating tools of art and trade. They rarely interacted with humans, and so their city was a myth, which suited them fine. Lemurians held powers that rivaled the gods. Thousands of them held it, and yet none felt the need to abuse them. After all, the Source provided and there was little to want or crave, not when you had it all.

He remembered the fateful day perfectly. His people had trusted in seven men—seven high priests, to keep the constant flow of energy moving throughout the city and provide for everyone. That had been their first mistake, in putting a few men above everyone else. First the problems had spread through rumors—it was rumored other parts of the city were losing energy, and that it was culminating at the citadel—until some parts had no energy at all and people started to die. The people of his province spoke about it in hushed whispers, but Savitar never paid any attention. Why would he? If those people lost their energy it must have been because they had done something wrong.

"Lemurians can do no wrong, Savitar." His mother said with a gentle chime as she bathed him. The water sloshed about him as she wrung out the sponge, while Dinaria, his little sister, played just a few feet away with his wooden carvings. "We have been blessed. We have never had needs. Those people do not know how to care for themselves. They are going hungry. What do you do when you are hungry?" She had asked him, before pouring water over his head.

"I eat."

"From where?"

"Our Holdings."

"And have you ever found them empty?"

"No." Sometimes he had an extra helping or two just because he could.

"Have you ever had to fight, or hunt for your food?" She asked, gentle lavender eyes that mirrored his own looking deep into his with concern. Savitar shook his head. "Now just think about people just like you. Babies like Dinaria, no older than two, suddenly going without anything to eat."

Word ran through the streets that seven high priests had congregated at the Citadel, men who had been charged with keeping the constant flow of energy moving throughout the city. Their jobs had been to make sure the energy was ever flowing so life could continue as normal. But they had become greedy, thought themselves above men, above the Source. He had been five and reading his great grandfather's tale on the walls when the ever-present blue light vanished. He remembered running outside, watching as the city, once illuminated by a brilliant, tranquil blue went dark. The light seemed to culminate at the Citadel, the peak of the castle. The light was bright, blinding, as if the Source itself had descended onto Earth. Buildings were starting to tumble and there were screams filling the air. From behind him he heard his mother's voice, frantically calling his name.

 _Savitar!_

 _Savitar!_

"Savitar!" Maira snapped in his face, hoping to bring him back from wherever he went. He seemed annoyed, grasping her hand in his and sharply pulling her into him. For a second something flashed across his eyes, and she could have sworn they changed colors.

"You like your fingers, don't you?" Savitar asked, his voice low and husky as he pulled her even closer still. Maira's breath caught in her throat, her eyes never leaving the swirling deep pool of his eyes. Slowly she nodded. "Then don't do that again," He rasped, releasing her suddenly and stalking past. Maira's heart nearly jumped from her chest. For a man who gave off a 'F you' aura, Savitar seemed to be easily angered. For a second, it was almost as if his eyes held a dangerous darkness—and while it should have scared her, all it did was thrill her.

As they continued through the house each room was more magnificent than the last. When they finally came to the end of a hallway, Savitar paused before a door. "This one is yours," he said, opening the door to a large room. Maira tentatively stepped inside, a king sized bed the first thing she was drawn to. There were white curtains hanging from the canopy above, hanging delicately as they swayed with a soft breeze coming in from the window across the room. She had her own dresser, with a large TV hung on the wall above it, just opposite the wall with the bed. "Wow," she breathed, noting the strange dark stone walls. "Thank you," she said, turning from the middle of the room to look at Savitar, who was still in the door frame. It was almost as if he didn't dare himself to step inside.

"Get some sleep." He said curtly.

Maira turned to look out of the window. "But it's daytime." She said, turning to him again. This time he had a knowing smirk on his lips, and seemed a little more relaxed. She really didn't know what went on at this island, did she?

"It's about five in the morning. You've been up all night." Savitar said with a raise of his brow. "Get some rest."

With that, he was gone.

::~

The first thing Savitar did when he closed that door was grab his board and head to the surf. He'd gone way too many hours not doing what he enjoyed most: basking in the sun and catching some rad waves. It was the only thing he genuinely enjoyed. He ran towards the sea, his toes digging into the sand the further along he went until the waves seemed to carry him themselves, as if welcoming him back. Pressing his chest against his board he paddled further out, just glad enough to be away from Maira for a moment. _Out of sight, out of mind_ , he thought, propping himself up just as a huge wave came in. Savitar expertly caught it, flipping himself up to stand and riding it as long as he could. This, he could do for an eternity. This, he loved.

And now that eternity was numbered, thanks to the girl. Not only that, but what was the first thing he did? He brought her into his fucking home, of all places. He liked to think himself a cut above the other gods he was tasked with wrangling, but damn was he a fool when he wanted to be. He didn't know how long he had spent out in the sea, basking in the sun and surfing whenever he wanted a change of pace. It must have been hours—thank goodness his godly powers and dark skin kept him from getting a serious sunburn—before he returned to the beach house to see how his problem was doing.

His short, curious, infuriating problem with legs that made him crave what was between them.

Nearly as soon as he stepped inside he was hit with the smell of food, and the sound of something sizzling after. Following his nose to the kitchen, he didn't know why he was surprised to find Maira hovering over the stove with a spatula in one hand and a white apron tied securely around her waist. Probably because the kitchen hadn't been used since he'd built the place, for one. It was strange seeing someone else in there. Wordlessly Savitar approached her, peering over her back. "Pancakes?"

Maira jumped. "Jesus—you scared me!" She snapped, whirling to face him and finding herself colliding with his chest. Savitar's eyes darkened, a sharp pang of lust shaking him all the way to his bones. It had been years since he'd felt such potent desire, much less for a human woman. He bit his bottom lip as he looked at her, his swirling eyes darkening the more he thought about taking her up on the kitchen counter. "I-I thought you might be hungry," Maira said meekly, her eyes trailing to his lips, where they were caught between his teeth. Gods, this man was sinful.

Savitar nodded, closing the space between them even further. He was ravenous.

But not for food. Slowly his arm came to wrap around her waist, his fingers clenching the back of her shirt as he pulled her body flush against his. Just like he'd suspected, she was unbelievably soft under his touch. Savitar couldn't stop looking at her, no matter how hard he tried. He wondered what it would be like to taste her soft, plump lips, to run his fingers down her slender neck and take her in his arms. His head was practically swimming with desire, just from their closeness.

Maira was sure that if he let go of her she would melt into a puddle, right there on the kitchen floor. He was two tons of perfect, hardened muscle. She gasped when he pressed her close and she felt his cock, thick and heavy pushing against her abdomen. Maira shivered. For a second when he neared she thought he might kiss her—he certainly looked like he wanted to. But he paused, a shadow of a doubt crossing his features, as if remembering something.

Then just as fast, he pulled away.

"I guess I could go for a pancake or two," he muttered, his voice deep and laden with desire still as he opened the cupboard above her head and produced a plate. Maira watched him in mild shock as he grabbed a couple of pancakes and plopped them on his plate and poured syrup over them, as if nothing had happened.

"What is your problem?" Maira asked, her hands sharply finding her hips. Savitar barely bothered to look up from his food.

"What's what?"

"I said, what is your problem," Maira growled, spatula in hand. "First, you're all, 'don't talk to me, I'm above you', and then you're all 'hey get some rest' and now you—you—what are you, repressed?" Maira snapped. Savitar dropped his fork with a sharp clatter on the kitchen island.

"Don't go there, human."

"Human?" Maira repeated indignantly. "This human has a name, and it's Maira. Mah-ee-rah. So say it right," she snapped. Savitar appeared less than amused. "You know what, I don't think I've heard you say my name at all ever since you kidnapped me," she continued when she didn't get a reaction.

"Oh, I kidnapped you now did I?"

"Yes!"

"I don't want you here any more than you want to be here," Savitar grit, rising from his hair suddenly as if he could intimidate her in one swift movement. Any god would have flinched, knowing that Savitar had the ability to kill them with a single thought. This human barely moved a muscle. She was either stupid, or immensely dense.

"Oh, you don't want me here? Send me back then!"

"Fine!" Savitar shouted with a wave of his hand. He watched in horror as Maira was sucked up by a swirling portal, half a scream already falling from her lips before she was gone.

::~

/ Please be sure to review~


	4. An Above Average Problem

Maira didn't stop screaming until she fell unceremoniously onto the concrete, narrowly avoiding landing on the roof of a car. Her knees were scraped, her hands pressed flush against the ground. Her head snapped up to meet the curious stares of passerby, all watching the woman who seemed to have tripped and fallen. Maira didn't even want to know what they were thinking about her: her hair looked like it hadn't been brushed in days, she had a wild, angry look in her eyes and worst of all, she was still wearing nothing more than an oversized T-shirt. Bottling her embarrassment and hoping her cheeks weren't flaming red, she shuffled to her feet. Before her she saw the same coffee shop she'd been in before she was attacked. Maira glanced down to see she was standing right at the spot she had fainted before.

He really did send her back. The nerve!

Mustering up her courage and pulling her shirt down as low as it could go, she pushed through the crowd and turned the corner, her mind solely on getting to her building a few blocks away. When she bounded up the steps to her town house, she realized she didn't have her purse with her. _Damn it, I must have left it at Neratiti. Or Katoteros._ Either way, there was no way she would get it back. Silently thanking herself for being so thoughtful, Maira pried apart the windowsill ledge closest to her door, shaking it until her extra key fell out. When she'd first moved in she noticed it was loose, and she had long since started stashing her spare in there. Hiding it under the welcome mat would be too easy for anyone trying to break into her house. Stepping inside and placing her spare in the bowl beside the door, Maira silently made a mental note to copy her keys later.

Her house looked exactly as she'd left it before she went on her late night coffee run. The tv was off, her blazer thrown lazily over her gray, maison sofa with two similarly styled loveseats at either side. Just past her couch she could see the end of her dining room table in the dining room, complete with her opened laptop, scattered files and folders and an empty mug beside it. It seemed like it was ages ago when she'd left this place. She'd spent hours slaving over numbers for work when she craved a latte and went out to get herself one.

Shit. Work!

Maira rushed to her laptop, pressing her fingers repeatedly on the touch pad only to find it unresponsive. Well that happens when you leave it on for a whole day, Maira mused, plugging her charger into the wall socket and leaving her computer to charge and come back to life. Rubbing her eyes tiredly, Maira reentered the dining room to head upstairs for a well-deserved hot shower. The longer she spent with the hot water soothing her aching bones, the better she felt. She was home. She was surrounded by her things, her peace and quiet, and the best part about it?

No Savitar.

Clutching her towel to her chest and trying to untangle her hair with her fingers as she left the bathroom, Maira almost expected to see the giant of a god perched on her bed when she entered her room, but there was no one. "You're losing it Simmons," she said underneath her breath as she pulled out her clothing. Fifteen minutes later clad in grey sweatpants and a tank top she pulled right off a rack at Forever 21, Maira was sitting in front of her computer staring at a myriad of unopened emails. The first few were normal enough until she got one sent to her by her boss early in the morning, questioning her unexcused absence from work. Maira groaned staring at the stack of papers that were supposed to have been neatly put into a spreadsheet the night before. With a deep sigh she began her apology, up until she had to come up with a reason for why she wasn't at work today?

The flu? It was bright and sunny out. She was pregnant and had a terrible bout of morning sickness? Yeah right, her boss and his secretary would get a good laugh out of that one.

The truth? _I died last night and was revived by an angry, sexy god that hates our entire species._ Yeah, that one would get her promptly fired. Maira sighed deeply before typing a quick excuse about having chicken pox and a promise to get her work emailed in before the end of the work day. _There, at least that will buy me some time,_ Maira mused as she hit send. Barely scanning the junk mail she got she opened one with a name she recognized next, a flood of relief washing over her as she read it.

It was Trina Devereaux. She had sent her two frantic emails last night, asking where she was and why she wasn't picking up her phone. Maira felt like banging her head on the table. Her phone was lost, too. Quickly she typed that she was fine, that she would explain everything later, all the while asking Trina to pick up an emergency iPhone and that she would pay her back later. Within minutes she received a reply, a promise from Trina that she would be right over.

The longer she sat on her couch and drank her coffee, the more like last night's events seemed like a dream. _I mean, honestly,_ Maira though, her feet propped up on the arm of her couch as she lied on it. _A god?_ Maira shook her head. She was raised Catholic, under one God. Even if what happened to her was true, there had to be some sort of explanation for it. Really good magicians, maybe?

Nah, even she wasn't buying it.

Her doorbell startled her, making her nearly spill the hot cup of coffee she was currently cradling. Throwing her legs over the couch to stand, Maira cautiously opened the door only to find her friend holding up a small box and a bag of goodies. "I got you the most recent phone and a vat of mango sorbet, you're welcome." Trina said as she stepped inside. Maira quickly grabbed her things from her hands.

"You are a gift from God," Maira said, peering into the bag and noting that Trina had gotten more than she'd asked for—Twix bars, Swedish Fish, and a Subway sandwich at the bottom of the bag. Maira headed into the dining room to plug in her phone and synchronize it, all the while Trina following fast on her heels.

"So, are you going to tell me why you went off the grid last night?" Trina asked, watching as Maira plugged in her phone and tapped away on her computer.

"Shit, I have to allow this new phone to sync from my old phone," she said, ignoring the girl's question as she ran her fingers through her hair.

"And…you don't have your old phone, I'm guessing?" Trina asked, asking the obvious. Maira gave her an unimpressed glare. A beep coming from her new phone caught both of the girls' attention. "What happened?" Trina asked, as Maira picked it up.

"The request was accepted," Maira said, her brows furrowing in concern.

Savitar.

She'd kill him if she were able, just for getting his paws on her phone. "I thought you didn't have your old phone?" Trina asked, taking a seat next to her at the dining table. Maira sighed as her friend watched her curiously. She wanted to explain, but where could she begin?

::~

Maira didn't know how long they had both been talking, but she'd tried her best to explain everything to her friend without leaving too much out. Or flat-out lying.

As far as Trina knew, she was attacked last night (which she was), rescued by some dashing stranger (although dashing would be too nice of a word to use) and then thrown out by said stranger after getting into a fight, effectively losing her wallet, her phone, and everything else she carried with her. The only detail she left out was that her attackers and said stranger were less than human. She figured it would be safer for her friend with the less she knew. "You're kidding, right? Only you would get into a fight with the guy that saved your life," Trina said, shaking her head disapprovingly at her friend. Maira tried to argue but even she couldn't deny that she might have had an attitude. "Well, you've got to get your things back, right? I mean, this guy has your credit cards. For all you know he could have bought himself a trip to Hawaii and be long gone by now."

For some reason, Maira figured Hawaii was exactly the place Savitar would go if he had the chance. "I'll call the bank and ask them to cancel my cards," Maira said, noting that her phone had finished synchronizing and it now looked exactly like her old one, apps and all.

"And your service provider," Trina said, throwing her bag over her shoulder. "I got you a prepaid card but it only has a few minutes on it, so use them wisely." She said, leaving the room as Maira followed and nodded vigorously. "I've got to go. My sister's got baby trouble and I'm the only one not busy at the moment," she said, with a disappointed sigh. Maira nodded, understanding that family came first. Trina and her sisters were a close bunch—at least the ones she liked. "Call me if anything!" She called over her shoulder before the door slammed shut behind her.

Maira sighed as she looked around her from the middle of the living room. Her house seemed so drab, so empty compared to the palace she'd slept in hours before. She half expected herself to appear in the middle of the beach again, with nothing but the sound of the ocean crashing against the shore reaching her ears, and yet she knew it was impossible. With her luck, she would never see Savitar again and this would be nothing more than an old, distant memory that seemed like a dream.

She didn't know what she was doing until she was staring at her cellphone's old number on her screen and pressing the call button. A part of her wanted to know if Savitar really had her phone, but she knew the truth: she just wanted to know if he'd pick up. A few, agonizing seconds later, she heard the call pick up and a gruff "Hello?" come from the other end in a voice she didn't think she could ever forget. Maira panicked and closed the call, her eyes wide as she clutched her phone to her chest.

Yeah, it definitely was not another dream. The man on the other end was very, very real.

::~

Savitar watched the phone call drop knowing exactly who had called. It wasn't a surprise that she would want to know where her belongings were, but he couldn't bring himself to send them back. Well, not that he couldn't bring himself, but more like he didn't want to. He didn't want to part with the only thing that reminded him of his little star of the sea.

His Maira.

::~ 

Maira sighed listlessly as she stared at the ceiling, bored out of her mind. She'd finished her paperwork hours ago, and now she had a couple of extra hours in her day she didn't know what to do with. It was strange, she struggled all her life to look at the numbers before her and put them in correctly, yet today she'd done hours of work in nearly half the time. Subconsciously her hand flew to the cold stone pressing on her neck. Something had changed. She could not place her finger on it, but it had. For some reason, she felt more…aware. Awake, as if she was seeing the world for the first time and she could understand it all perfectly. For a second she was tempted to unclasp the necklace just to get a better look at it, before her grandmother's words rang in her ears. She must never, _ever_ , take it off. Deep in thought her hand fell away. The least she could do was honor the woman's last wish.

A sound coming from the kitchen made her shoot straight out of the couch. Maira cautiously approached, her hand gripping the stone tightly in her palm. "Savitar?" She asked, a part of her hopeful that the god had come for her after all. What she found instead was a woman.

She was tall, taller than Maira was, at least. She had long black hair that reached the back of her knees and she wore a black leather body suit, a cropped leather jacket and heels so sharp it was a wonder she was standing. Maira gaped in shock, almost forgetting to demand how the hell the woman had gotten into her house. "Savitar?" She asked, the name falling from her crimson lips with bitter distaste. "Please. I'm much more civilized and at least twice as pretty as that Chthonian." The woman said with a flip of her hair.

Maira shook her head. "Who are you again?"

"I am Hecate," The goddess quipped with a slow smile.

"Hecate." Maira repeated. " _Hecate_?!" Maira's fingers delved into her hair as she fought the urge to scream. "Great. First I'm kidnapped by a god— "

"God-killer," Hecate offered as she leaned against the kitchen counter and observed her nails.

"God-killer," Maira corrected sarcastically before she began to pace, barely having enough time to process just what that meant. "Then, the goddess of the crossroads decides to just poof into my house." That wasn't weird at all.

"Crossroads and witchcraft, although that is a bastardization of the scope of it, really." Hecate corrected again, waiting for the human to end her panic attack.

"Right." Maira said, shooting the woman an unappreciative look. This had gotten _way_ out of hand. "Dare I ask what you want from me?" She paused in her pacing to observe the perfectly collected woman. Hecate pushed up off the counter as if she'd been waiting for that question all along.

"I've heard you've ran into a little trouble recently," she said with a sibylline smile, drawing out her words as she walked around Maira and observed her. Maira gave her a puzzled look. She'd heard?

"You've been the talk of the town, around the supernatural parts at least. The human girl that the Daimons attacked, who just can't be touched." Hecate said, her gray eyes falling to the necklace around the other woman's neck. How she wanted to touch it, but she knew better. Maira turned to face her, unable to shake the sudden chill at the back of her neck.

"How did you know about that?"

"Oh, the wind loves to gossip."

That was cryptic. But at this point, she wouldn't have been surprised if the wind did. Maira was beginning to lose her patience. "You still haven't told me why you're here," she reminded, her teeth grinding against each other. While she assumed a human would be awestruck at the presence of a god, she'd had enough of them to last her a life time. Hecate shrugged, recognizing that the human didn't have a taste for her theatrics. Oh well.

"Simply put, I want to offer you my patronage." Hecate said, as if revealing the secret to the universe. When Maira didn't bite, she visibly deflated in annoyance. "My patronage? My protection, a very limited extent to my powers and the promise you can call on me should you need aid." Hecate said, producing a totem with three grotesque faces facing in either direction. Maira glanced at it skeptically, refusing to move a muscle.

"What do you want in return?" She asked, knowing well enough that nothing the gods gave came without a price. Hecate's smile only grew wider.

"From you? Nothing in particular." Hecate was telling the truth, as far as she was concerned. Maira held no subject of interest to her—the necklace did, but until the goddess found out how to use it to her advantage that too, was useless. "Let's just say we have a mutual friend in common. When push comes to shove and you find out just what your abilities are…" Hecate trailed off, closing the distance between her and Maira with every word. Maira's breath caught in her throat when the woman traced her jaw. "I want to be the first to give my condolences to our dear old Savitar."

Maira's eyes darkened, before she sharply slapped the woman's hand away. "Get out of my house," she grit. She'd had enough of the gods doing with her what they willed. Let them play their games somewhere else.

Hecate laughed. "Say what you will Maira, but there's a darkness in you. I know it, you know it too. The question is, will you exploit it before it exploits you?" She chimed with a sinister laugh, seconds before Maira hurled a salt shaker from the counter beside her in her direction.

The goddess vanished.

::~

Stupid humans. Stupid fucking humans. Of all the stupid creations that had come about since the beginning of time—and there were plenty, Savitar hated humans the most. The gods at least had some sort of sense when embroiled in their squabbles, but humans? More than just nuisances, they were _vermin_. Always butting their heads into things that were none of their business and ruining _everything_. Savitar's fingers tugged on his hair, his eyes glancing at the phone on his kitchen counter every few seconds as if willing it to ring. It had buzzed once—and he pressed a button too fast to read what was on the screen, but since then it was radio silent. All he wanted was one message; was that too much to ask? Anything to know Maira was okay, and not currently the feast of hundreds of Daimons at some fucked up sacrificial party.

If that was the case, he might have royally fucked up the order of the universe, as if it wasn't fucked already.

The memory came like a silent ghost, broiling through the air until Savitar found himself once more at the tender age of five, standing wide eyed before his home as all of Lemuria fell consumed by darkness. He watched, as the blue light grew so big at the Citadel his eyes were filled with it. "Savitar!" His mother screamed through the rubble, her slender fingers clamping over his tiny ones as he was pulled along, Dinaria strapped to her back and in hysterics. Savitar remembered the look on his sister's face, the terror as she wailed, red faced, too young to know what was happening but still feeding off of the panic surrounding them. Their home was built at the water's edge, all of Lemuria being an island. Savitar had found himself pushed onto a boat, the same his father had used to take him out to sea at times except his father was nowhere to be found.

"Where's Father?" Savitar had asked, to which his mother had spared a glance over her shoulder as she strapped him in. What she saw was their world crumbling. With Dinaria at her back she saw it too, and only Savitar was blessed with that ignorance.

"He's gone to try and contain the Source. He won't be coming," she said, stepping out into the water, pushing the boat with as much strength as she could muster and desperately trying to ignore Dinaria's screams. There was a certain sadness in his mother's eyes, then. As if she was carrying the weight of the world on her shoulders. His mother set to untying the cloth that kept Dinaria strapped to her back, Savitar waiting on board before the ocean took it upon itself to muster a wave so large it pushed the boat further out to sea. The star-tossed ocean carried him away and with it his screams, his mother's voice carried by the wind as she reached for him, unable to leave the shore. Savitar had been young then, it was a memory he repressed but he remembered the way his mother's face contorted when the Citadel exploded, the way the light engulfed the entire island, taking its people and their life forces. Savitar remembered how the light spread out in all directions consuming everything. The ocean was an unstoppable force then, carrying the little boat so fast he was barely able to see his island—his home crumble and disappear in a flash of light.

That day, his pain was too great for a little five-year-old body to contain.

Savitar shook his head as if expelling the vision altogether, his eyes dark and stormy. Constantly plagued with the pain of his past he couldn't dare get close to anyone, much less the human occupying so much space in his mind. Maira didn't know how to shut up, to put it frankly. She would press and press until he'd spill everything to her, and Savitar wouldn't dare be subject to that kind of vulnerability.

::~

"Bye! I'll see you tomorrow!" Maira called over her shoulder, coffee cup in one hand while she juggled her binder and laptop in the other. _I had a full work-day_ , she mused giddily. A nine-to-five, with absolutely no interruptions. Her co-workers couldn't possibly understand what had her in such a lifted mood, but after the night she'd had before she couldn't wait to go to work again. When she woke up that morning everything was normal. She brushed her teeth, made breakfast, hopped into her car, and drove to work with no teeth baring, hungry looking human-turned-monster in sight. By those standards, it was a _great_ day.

Maira pressed her back against the office doors, shoving it open with a grunt as she tried to keep everything in her arms from falling. Her car was only a block away, and she'd purposefully chosen the least busiest time of the day to make her trip. One too many times with coffee spilled on her white blouse and her face in the concrete had taught her that trick. She safely made the trip and was just juggling her key into her car door when she sensed a presence to her right, the tiny woman nearly jumping out of her skin.

"Oi," Savitar said with a grin, his brow raised in amusement. It seemed she was still on edge after what happened, after all.

Maira's eyes widened a fraction, disbelief in her features. Nervous, she glanced around to see if anyone else spotted the towering giant leaning against her car, but everyone's nose was in their phones as they walked by unbothered. "We are not doing this again," Maira said, pointing at him with her coffee clutched in her hand. When she moved to open her car door he stopped her, pressing it shut.

"I just want to talk."

"There's nothing to –talk about," Maira said, trying to pull open the door against his ungodly strength to no avail. "Ugh!" She groaned, giving up for now. "As far as I'm concerned, what happened was just a bad dream. I've already forgotten all about it," She said definitely. Savitar raised a brow, stepping towards her.

"Is that why you're so nervous?"

"I'm nervous because a seven-foot tall Chthonian is blocking me from my car," Maira said, struggling with everything in her arms. Savitar's brows furrowed, his jaw clenching.

"Where did you hear that word?" He said, stepping forward, his fists clenched. Maira's eyes were drawn to them, noting how that alone made him tense. What was with him?

"Nowhere."

"You're lying."

"So what if I am? I'm tired of you gods coming into my life, acting like you own everything." Maira huffed, taking the opportunity to open her car door and place her things inside.

"Gods. Plural? Who else came to see you? We can get into the semantics of what being a god entails later," Savitar said, grasping her shoulders, eliciting a grunt of discomfort from her. "Maira, who came to see you from when I left you til now?" He asked again. When she remained silent, he shook her slightly. "Answer! I'm not in the mood for games."

Eyes wide, Maira swallowed the lump in her throat, figuring this was no joke. She'd seen him irritated, sure. Never this incensed. "She said her name was Hecate," she said finally. He released her instantly, his fingers tugging on his hair.

"Hecate," he grumbled, pacing.

"She said she wanted to offer her patronage," Maira continued. That only made him grumble louder. "What? What's so wrong with that?" Maira asked, coming around to face him, her eyes searching his face. Savitar paused, staring at her intently.

The bustle of the city was interrupted with a shriek, a low rumble coming from the earth a few blocks away. Maira's head snapped towards the sound, people rushing from the distance, a giant hand appearing against a tall building. With it came a grotesque, bigger body, slowly moving among the skyscrapers. A giant foot came down on the concrete, several cars suspended into air before they came crashing down.

Savitar's hands tightened on her arm. "Get in the car," he said, his eyes never leaving the giant that was advancing towards him. "Now!" He didn't need to tell her twice, Maira sprang into action, getting into the backseat of her car. Savitar leaned against the window, motioning towards her to lock the car doors. She did, watching him then run towards the chaos.

Maira banged against the glass, terror gripping her heart. She had the feeling this would end in bloodletting.

"Savitar!"


End file.
